


Joe and Chuy Take Care of Manfred

by LeeMorrigan



Category: Midnight Texas (TV)
Genre: Angel Strong, Angel and a Demon, Boji, Domestic, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Neighbors, Taking care of Manfred, Uncles Joe and Chuy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-15
Updated: 2017-09-15
Packaged: 2018-12-30 02:10:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12098394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeeMorrigan/pseuds/LeeMorrigan
Summary: Before leaving town, Manfred attempts to find somewhere to breathe where Creek and ghosts aren't just down the hall, and after finding no room anywhere, he bumps into Joe, who goes into Guardian Angel mode to take care of the wayward medium, with the help of his husband (and excellent cook) Chuy.





	Joe and Chuy Take Care of Manfred

**Author's Note:**

> Canon-compliant up to episode 6. Spoilers for Ep6.  
> Manfred could use a couple uncles, Chuy and Joe are the men for the job.  
> I mention Bobo, Fiji, Lem, Olivia, Madonna, Creek, the Rev., and Xylda, but only Manfred, Joe, and Chuy get speaking parts.

Manfred left the house, without a word to Creek. He didn’t want to talk to her right now. She had every right to need time to get her head, and her heart, all sorted out. Manfred didn’t want to give her any more heartache than she already had, but at the same time he felt like he couldn’t breathe in that house with her just down the hall. 

Walking out, he saw that Olivia and Lem were in the front of the pawn shop. It appeared they were slow dancing. He didn’t want to bust that up, so Manfred headed over towards Fiji’s. Just as he was about to leave the sidewalk and head into her place, he noticed Bobo sitting on the porch, head back, eyes closed, but his breathing showed he was very much awake. Manfred also thought he saw the bulky outline of a gun beneath Bobo’s jacket. Fiji was safe, for the moment. Manfred didn’t want to interrupt her in case she was finally getting some sleep.

Moving towards the end of town, he decided to go see the Rev. Manfred wondered if anyone had checked in on the man since Madonna patched him up at the restaurant. It would be peaceful at the Church. Manfred was never entirely sure why, it just seemed like there were always fewer ghosts at Churches, and the ghosts there tended to be quiet. Maybe it gave the ghosts the eebie-jeebies or maybe it was some sort of energy about a holy place. Someday Manfred was going to a Masque or a Temple, just to see if they had the same effect on ghosts as Christian churches tended to.

Just as Manfred reached the yard in front of the Church, he heard a bit of movement inside. He paused. The steps did not sound like the Rev., and he tended to walk so softly Manfred generally didn’t hear him. This person’s steps were heavier. Then the doors opened to reveal Joe. One hand was wrapped around the handle of a toolbag, the other had a 2-step stool.

The blond man, angel, stopped and looked down at Manfred. He then offered a tired but friendly smile. That was coming to be the default expression for Midnighters to greet each other with. Joe then came down the few steps to join Manfred in the yard.

“Rev’s not here. He’s up at Madonna’s getting taken care of. She insisted he stay there and rest a while.”

Manfred nodded. Made sense. And it was good to know the resident weretiger Reverend wasn’t being left to his own devices after having his arse handed to him by a deranged fallen angel. Manfred was going to turn around and head back to the RV when Joe spoke up.

“Chuy was talking about starting dinner when I left to fix Emilio’s window. Come on over.”

Manfred opened his mouth to protest, but the angel beat him to it.

“It’s late, the diner’s about the close for the night, and I promise, Chuy’s cooking is to die for.”

They both cringed a bit, and Joe then shook his head, adding, “Perhaps not the best choice of words.”

Manfred caught himself almost smiling. There was something about Joe that just made Manfred want to trust him. A dangerous thing in Manfred’s opinion. Granted, that could also just be years of listening to Xylda talking about how it was the most trustworthy looking faces that pulled the greatest cons. 

Deciding he was done being alone and miserable, Manfred decided to take Joe up on the offer. Falling into step beside the tattoo artist and guardian angel of Midnight, they walked over to the tattoo parlor. Joe unlocked the back door of the shop and let Manfred in, locking back up behind them. It seemed Olivia wasn’t the only security minded paranoid in Midnight.

When they got into the stairwell to head up to the living quarters above the shop, Manfred caught a scent he hadn’t smelled in years. Not since before Xylda got sick. Probably the last time he had been suffering from the headaches, before he started to self-medicate. Grilled cheese and tomato soup. Glancing over, he caught Joe’s smile. Even Lem and Bobo didn’t look quite as in-love as Joe did in that split second before he called out to his husband.

“Chuy! Throw on another sandwich, we’ve got a guest.”

Chuy stuck his head out of the door that must have been their kitchen. He had a clean shirt on and he looked like he might have just gotten out of a shower a few minutes ago, but he smiled upon seeing Manfred. Once again, it struck him how everyone was greeting each other with these tired but kind smiles. It felt weird and sad and good all at once.

“Manfred! Welcome. Go wash your hands and grab a seat. Food’s almost done.”

Joe and Manfred walked past the room, Joe pausing for a second to press a quick kiss to Chuy’s cheek before going down the hall and pointing out the bathroom to Manfred, then turning to go into a different room. When Manfred came out a moment later, hands washed and his jacket hanging on a small hook on the back of the bathroom door, he found Joe nolonger had the tools or stool, his vest was gone, and he had rolled up sweater’s sleeves back up to his elbow. Sometimes it still struck Manfred how odd it was to see a tattooless tattoo artist.

“Come on, or Chuy will fuss.”

“I HEARD THAT!”

Joe just smiled as he looked towards the kitchen. Inside the kitchen, Chuy had already put out three bowls of soup on the table, along with silverware, and was now bringing out the sandwiches. One look up at Joe had him stopping in his tracks.

“I thought I told you to wash up.”

Joe smiled, shaking his head at his husband before turning around to go back to the bathroom. Chuy shook his head and muttered in a language Manfred neither understood nor recognized. Chuy indicated for Manfred to have a seat and Manfred nodded his thanks. Just as Chuy brought out the white ceramic mugs, not two matching out of the three, Joe returned and held up his hands for Chuy’s inspection. Chuy shook his head.

“You’re worse than a kid.”

Joe leaned forward to put a hand on the small of Chuy’s back, pecking his husband’s lips quickly. Chuy almost seemed to blush a little and minutely shook his head before both men sat back down. They ate in relative silence. Manfred was grateful. He didn’t want to talk about Creek, Bowie, his past, or anything to do with how he ended up in Chuy and Joe’s kitchen.

After dinner, Joe began clearing plates. Manfred went to help and Joe stopped him.

“Guests don’t clear.”

Chuy added, “I cooked, so he clears.”

Manfred gave them both a smile, feeling the effects of the meal already. He was sure if he put his head down on the table and closed his eyes, the next sound would be his snoring. He wondered for a second or two if Joe and Chuy would mind.

In the kitchen, Joe began rinsing the dishes and Chuy opened the freezer, taking inventory of the ice cream flavors they had. Joe was not the biggest fan of ice cream, however Chuy should have owned his own company the way the man loved the stuff. Joe preferred hot desserts, like s’mores. Chuy spoke in a hushed tone, clearly not meaning to be overheard.

“Do you think he’ll want to stay for dessert?”

Joe shrugged.

“I’m guessing that Creek might have dumped him.”

Chuy nodded. Joe was generally pretty good at guessing that kind of thing. Probably due to how Joe was always watching, even if he didn’t speak or seem to care at all.

“You think he’ll leave?”

Joe knew Chuy wasn’t referring to their house. He meant Midnight. Joe shrugged, shaking his head. He honestly didn’t know and Chuy read that. Chuy set out three bowls again, this time plopping a serving of ice cream in each, with Joe noticing one bowl getting less ice cream but more graham crackers and marshmellows than the other two, then all three getting a healthy serving of chocolate syrup on them.

“Here, make yourself useful.”

Joe smiled.

“Yes, dear.”

Chuy gave him a sarcastic look and Joe grinned at his husband. Walking out, they came back to the table and Chuy left a bowl in front of Manfred while Joe handed the younger man a spoon.

“Dig in, or Chuy might steal yours.”

Chuy rolled his eyes but could not hide the small smile. Manfred took the spoonful of ice cream, however he also felt a stab as he watched the two other men, listening to them bantering with each other. They had clearly been together a very long time, though now knowing they were an angel and a half-demon, Manfred had wondered how many centuries it had been. And the two were also undeniably devoted to each other.  
Chuy had succumb to his inner demon to save Joe and Joe had taken on an older, more deadly angel to try to protect Chuy.

Once the ice cream was finished, Chuy and Joe disappeared to the kitchen to clean up, leaving Manfred in the dining room. Chuy glanced back at the young man before coming to join his husband by the sink. Joe looked worried. Chuy shared the feeling.

“He looks ready to fall over.”

Joe nodded as he rinsed out his bowl.

“That’s part of why I brought him over. Didn’t want him to crash at the church.”

Chuy let out a breath.

“We do have a guest room. I might need to spray some Fabreaze before you show it to him.”

Joe shook his head and they head the door closing.

“He’s gone.”

Chuy looked towards the sound.

“Think he’ll come back?”

There was a long pause before his husband finally answered.

“He doesn’t think he will but… he’ll be back. He has to come back. Creek’s still here.”

With that, Joe took the last two bowls and rinsed them out while Chuy went to the window, watching Manfred walk to his RV. He was leaving Midnight. Although Chuy knew Joe to be right. No matter what the danger, no matter what Joe said, Chuy always stuck with his husband and he had seen the spark between Manfred and Creek. They didn’t have years together to forge the bond as strong as steel, although given enough time, they could. As long as Creek was here, Manfred wouldn’t stray far.

Chuy felt Joe’s strong, warm, rough hands on his hips before feeling the warmth radiating off of Joe’s person and settling into Chuy’s bones. His body automatically leaned back into Joe’s chest, giving Joe the perfect opportunity to kiss Chuy’s neck and rest his head in the crook. Neither spoke. They didn’t need to. 

The Veil was opening, Manfred was leaving, Creek was grieving, Lem and Olivia were sharing a normal Monday night slow dance, Bobo was spending the night on Fiji’s porch to let her know she was not alone, Mr.Snuggly was probably sleeping next to Fiji- and hopefully she was asleep just as peacefully, Emilio was resting over the restaurant, and Joe was alive, pressed to Chuy, in their apartment above their shop. It wasn’t perfect but Chuy would take every moment of peace and quiet with his neighbors and husband, that he could get while they awaited the Hell to come.

Joe tugged at Chuy a little and Chuy nodded, taking Joe’s hand and leading him back to their bedroom. They both got undressed slowly and somewhat sluggishly before Chuy threw on a pair of pants to sleep in and Joe got into one of his old Tshirts and a pair of cotton pants. He even wore his usual white socks. Chuy smiled as he watched the love of his life stretching out his shoulders and back before getting into bed beside Chuy.

Once settled with the lights off and Joe having checked all the locks twice, Chuy felt Joe’s head over his chest, ear pressed to hear Chuy’s heartbeat. When Joe had saved him from his inner demon, all those years ago and after three years of chasing, Joe had started every night this way. Chuy hardly minded. It meant Joe wasn’t sleeping with his back to Chuy, the blankets thrown off of him, and till he fell asleep and started to twitch and jerk as he dreamed of all the things he wished to forget. Showing his back was an immense sign of trust from an angel, yet Chuy still preferred to see Joe’s face as the last sight his eyes beheld before slumber claimed them both. And he preferred Joe close.

“Goodnight.”, Joe whispered.

Chuy smiled, leaning to kiss Joe’s head, feeling the soft blond hair that graced the angel’s head better than any halo.

“Goodnight.”


End file.
